January 1899

Sunday 1st   It was a beautiful day.  Miss Harding & Jane went to the Mr Knaggs’ in the afternoon .  Walter Frearson came here for tea and went with us down to Church.  I conducted service in the Hall in the evening, for the first time in the evening this summer.  There was a very good congregation.  I chose the Hymns for the occasion and Miss Harding played the “Dead March” after the service .

Monday 2nd   It was a fine day, but cloudy.  There was a picnic and sports at Dacres Claim but none of us went.  Minnie went fishing to Ti Point.  Miss Harding & Jane rode up to Kempts in the afternoon and staid until late in the evening.  Willie Pratt finished topping the pine trees the far side of the orchard,  it is a great improvement as we can see out to sea now.  W.P. took a hive in the bush in the evening.

Tuesday 3rd   It was a fine day.  Willie Pratt helped and we were picking fruit all day, as follows.
2 Cases  Doyenne  D’Ete’ Pears
1      ”        Early Orleans
1      ”        July Green Gages
2      ”        Early Blue
1      ”        Apricots
It rained a little in the evening.

Wednesday 4th   It rained nearly all last night, and when we got up this morning it was raining pretty, we milked the cows during a lull.  Got the bullocks up and hauled the 7 Cases of  Fruit and a box of Eggs down to the wharf.  The “Kapanui” and the “Orewa” were both alongside of the wharf.
I hauled 3 Doz Fruit Cases up,  2 Doz for me & 1 Doz for Charlie.  It was showery nearly all day.  I made up 24 Small Cases in the shed in the afternoon.
Miss Harding went to Mrs Gravatts after tea to stay.

Thursday 5th   It was a fine day.  Willie Pratt made a new sleigh for me up at the shed.  Mr Aked brought my late wifes portrait home that I ordered, I am very pleased with it, he staid for dinner.  I planted some Tomato & Egg Plants near the closet in the morning.
In the pm I rode to Pakiri to see Arthur Wright about making a Catamaran.  I had tea at Mr Ellis Dyers .  In the evening Willie P. & Jane cleaned out the well and robbed a hive of honey in the bush.

Friday 6th   It was showery all day.  I went down to the P. O.  in the morning.  We laid out a grade road from the farm orchard up the hill, so that we can haul the fruit instead of carrying it as we have to do at present.  We commenced to make the road in the afternoon .  Also Killed a Sheep in the afternoon.

Saturday 7th   It was a fine day & the ground dried up wonderfully.
We took the Catamaran to pieces in the morning & picked 6 Cases Apricots.  I hauled the Apricots and the wheel & axle down to the wharf in the pm, also took the mutton to Harpers & Fordhams.
There was a meeting of the Road Board in the Hall at 2 pm.  Also a public meeting in the Hall at 7 pm to elect new Trustees for the Hall.
The following were nominated Messrs G. Knaggs,  W. Neely,
T. Handby,  A. Matheson  &  D. M. Kempt.
The “Rose Casey” came in the evening to take the fruit, there were a great number to go away.
There was a meeting of the Show Committee at Harpers afterwards.

Sunday 8th   It was a fine day.  I had a bad cold and did not go out anywhere.  Joe T was here for tea,  Willie Pratt went to Gravatts in the evening and Miss Harding returned with him to stay.

Monday 9th   The wind was blowing strong from the W & SW and there were several heavy showers.  Willie Pratt & I were making the grade road up from the farm orchard.

Tuesday 10th   It was a very showery day.  We picked and packed
7 Cases Apricots
3 Cases Jargonell Pears
We had to take shelter several times out of the rain.  I hauled the fruit down to the wharf in the afternoon and hauled up 1 Sack Maize and a 70 lb Bag Sugar.  Miss Pratt  &  Mr Rayner were here for tea.
We all went to spend the evening at Mrs Gravatts,  Miss C. Matheson and Jim Dunning were there.

Wednesday 11th   We all got up early in the morning as Miss H is leaving, we all went down to the Wharf to see her off in the “Kapanui“.  George & Fred Pratt and Mr Rayner also went by her on their way back to Cabbage Bay.
Willie P. and I were working at the road up from the farm orchard in the morning
Willie went fishing to Ti Point in the afternoon.  I rode over to meet Mr Birdsall at Ti Point School, we proceeded to the Point to lay out some work on the road for the Road Board, we also went up Ashtons Creek to lay out some work there.  I returned home in company with Ernest Wyatt, he is working at Mr Hadwicks.

Thursday 12th   It was a beautiful day.  Willie Pratt & I were working at the road up from the farm orchard, we finished it in the afternoon.
Old Miss Matheson came in the afternoon for me to witness her signature to her claim for an Old Age Pension.

Friday 13th   It was a fine day.  We were digging the Potatoes both morning & afternoon in the E.R.   Killed a Sheep in the evening.
Miss Fordham called in the evening and paid the Acnt for mutton.

Saturday 14th   It was a fine day.  We finished digging to Potatoes in the morning.  We picked & packed 9 small cases Apricots, hauled them down to the wharf in the afternoon and delivered the mutton at the same time, and then hauled 2 sacks of Potatoes round from the E.R. to the house.
The “Rose Casey” came in very late in the evening, there were over 200 cases of Fruit for her to take.

Sunday 15th   It rained nearly all day.  We did not go out anywhere and I held no service in the evening.

Monday 16th   It was a fine day.  I made a new pigs trough.  Got in the bullocks and hauled 2 loads Firewood.
Sorted out the Potatoes and stored them in one of the pig styes.
Went to Mr Thos Knaggs in the evening to witness Mrs Knaggs’ application for an Old Age Pension.  There were some showers in the evening.

Tuesday 17th   I was very busy all day.  We picked and packed 7
30 lb Cases of Apricots.  Also packed a box of Eggs.
Planted 4 rows of Negro Beans  in the evening the top side of the house.  Went down to the “Orewa” in the evening.
Willie P. took a hive of honey in our bush in the evening.

Wednesday 18th   It was a fine day.  We hauled the fruit down to the wharf in the morning.
I went to Auckland in the “Orewa“, she left here at 10 oclock, we called into Big Omaha and went up to the upper wharf, we got into Auckland about 5.30.  I went up to Grafton Road where I stayed at Mrs Hardings.

Thursday 19th   It was a wet day.  I went down the town.  I went to an organ recital in St Pauls in the evening  with Miss Harding .

Friday 20th   It rained nearly all day.  I was down in the town.  I went to the Wax works in the Agricultual Hall in the evening.

Saturday 21st   It was showery in the morning, but it was fine in the afternoon.  I went down the town in the morning,  saw the “Rose Casey” off for Omaha at 2 pm.
In the afternoon  I went with the Hardings to Mr Pilchers at Rocky Nook, we had tea & supper there and spent a very pleasant evening.

Sunday 22nd   It was a fine day.  I walked across the Domain to service at St Mary’s Parnell, there was a military church parade.  Revd G. McMurray  preached an excellent sermon suitable to the occasion.
I returned to Mrs Hardings for dinner and in the evening I went with Mrs & Miss Hardings to service to the Tabernacle.  Revd Jos Clark preached an excellent sermon.

Monday 23rd   It was a fine day.  I went down to Coromandel per “Rotomahana” leaving the Auckland wharf at 12.30.  We arrived at Coromandel  at about 4.30.   George Walter met me with a trap and drove me to Manaia where Mr Walter now resides and teaches a Native School,  Mr & Mrs Walter gave me a very hearty welcome.

Tuesday 24th   It was a fine day.  A young Maori boy had died during the night and there was a tangi at the native settlement.  Mr Walter took me to see the Native cultivations  in the morning.  Mr Walter had to go to Auckland in the afternoon, he rode to Coromandel to catch the Steamer, George went to bring the horse back.  I went for a long walk on the Thames Coromandel road in the afternoon.

Wednesday 25th   It was a fine day.  I left Manaia in the afternoon, George drove me to Coromandel,  I called on Ernest Gravatt , Mrs Christie & Tom Pratt, at the latter place I had tea and staid all night, after tea Tom Pratt and I took a walk to the upper township.

Thursday 26th   Got up early in the morning, had breakfast at Tom Pratts and then walked down to the wharf and then embarked on board the “Rotomahana” bound for Auckland where we arrived about 11.30,   went up to Mrs Hardings.  Met a quantity of Matakana & Omaha people in Queen St who had come up in an excursion to the Exhibition.  Went to the Exhibition in the evening with the Hardings, we went to an Oratorio  ‘Elijah’ in the Choral Hall, Miss & Charlie Harding were playing in the Orchestra.

Friday 27th   I went down the town shopping in the morning, went to the Exhibition in the pm.  There was a musical evening at Mrs Hardings, and we had a very pleasant time.

Saturday 28th   It was a fine day.  I bid Mrs & Miss Harding good bye and went down to the wharf in the buss, took my luggage to the Rose Casey office, finished my shopping and collected my parcels together.
Left Auckland by “Rose Casey” at 2 pm and landed at Omaha after 8 oclock, there were a good many passengers.
There was a meeting of the Show Committee at Mr Harpers in the evening which I attended.
Willie Pratt was staying at our place and Miss & Frank Pratt  were there for the night,  also Florence.

Sunday 29th   The “Rose Casey” left at 7 am this morning for Auckland.  She took a lot of excursionists including the Omaha Cricketers who are going to play some matches .
Willie Pratt also went up in her, we all went down to the wharf to see him off.
Miss & Frank Pratt had dinner here and afterwards went home.  I went down to the Hall in the evening but as there were so few present there was no service.

Nearly every day this week we were picking fruit.  Miss Niccol returned on Tuesday 31st accompanied by Miss Mitchel.  School duties were resumed on  Febr  1st